The world’s best psytrance festivals include the likes of Boom Festival, HillTop, Vortex Open Source, Ozora Festival, Rainbow Serpent, Universo Paralello, Momento Demento and dozens more across the continents of Europe, North America, South America, Africa and Asia. Wherever you go in the world, a psytrance festival can be found to suit your particular experience and travel needs.

There are so many festivals to choose from – our calendar often lists over 100. So how do you know which are worth attending? These festivals below have been carefully curated as each of them offers something unique, making them worthy of being on your bucket list.

The 4 night, 5 day festival takes place in the mystical land of the Circle of Dreams, Riviersonderend. Expect some long journey sets from old school legends local and international legends amongst a very natural, forest setting. The Vortex crew have over 20 years of experience throwing parties in Cape Town, South Africa.

Situated on the island of Koh Tao (Turtle Island) in Thailand, Experience Festival will host its 11th edition this year and in a beautiful location known for and snorkeling, as well as hiking, rock climbing and bouldering.

Rainbow Serpent Festival has been a fixture on Australia’s bush doof festival calendar for over 20 years. The psytrance festival has developed into one of the most highly regarded in the world.

These days the epic five day multifaceted eruption of dance, colour, expression and celebration attracts people from all corners of the earth who converge on Lexton in Western Victoria in January for an unforgettable, unique Australian experience.

Origin Festival is a three day festival that takes place at the tip of Africa, presented by the people of Nano Records and Good Time Events, who also produced Earthdance Cape Town until recently.

Origin Festival is one of the largest festivals in South Africa and boasts two dance floors (psytrance, techno, house, ambient) and a wide variety of visionary arts nestled in the beautiful Helderstroom region.

The Indian psychedelic scene is thriving and Hill Top has been in the mix for almost a decade. In 2019 the 8th edition of the festival will take place. Although the local scene has struggled with authorities shutting down parties, HillTop Festival is expected to run for 3 days straight in Vagator. Otherwise, Goa has over 7000 bars!

Ivory’s Rock is a beautiful outdoor venue with top notch facilities, comfortable campgrounds, and it is conveniently located under an hour from Brisbane and just 20 minutes from Ipswich.

DOOF Festival 2019

Where: IsraelWhen: Around April 2019 (TBC)

The Doof Project was born back as an underground party organization in 1996 with the formation of their label, Doof Records, coming later in 2002.

Now veterans of the Israeli psytrance scene, the Doof Festival has taken place since 2004 and from their early 1 day parties it has grown to 3 days and 4 nights. Did you know, Israel is only about 20,000 km²?

Mexico, the land where chocolate, chillies and corn where discovered! Named after Aztec gods Ometecuhtli and Omecihua, Ometeotl looks like a great psychedelic festival in a field of grass, hosting thousands of Mexicans and international guests. Have a tequila for us!

Respect has helped shaped the psychedelic trance scene in Brazil for 10 years with over 18 parties during that time. Taking place in the Boqueirão Sul – Ilha Comprida, this is a beach party you don’t want to miss!

Mundo de Oz is yet another popular Brazilian festival in Aldeia Outro Mundo, Lagoinha. Now heading towards its 10th edition, the festival has been growing in numbers. Be on the lookout for some of their other events including ReveillOz #5 – 2018/19 over NYE and Mo:Dem Festival Teaser Brasil 2019 next year.

Psychedelic Experience Festival takes place in Northern Germany, in a town called Lübz. You’ll experience delicious German cuisine and cool psychedelic side-activities will be present at this spectacular event with a main stage hosting a variety of psychedelic music.

Burning Mountain Festival 2019

Where: SwitzerlandWhen: Around June/July 2019 (TBC)

The unique location lies in the Engadin Valley of the Swiss Alps, one of the highest inhabited valleys of Europe, home to 1000 people. Following the end of the ice age, an 80 kilometre long valley opened up in the modern swiss canton of Graubünden, at a height of 1,800 metres above sea level. It’s a perfect location for a psytrance festival!

Shankra Festival 2019

Where: SwitzerlandWhen: Around July 2019 (TBC)

At Shankra Festival you’ll get to dance, laugh and be blessed between the gigantic mountains in Lostallo (Graubunden). This Swiss psytrance festival has a valley which invites you to deepen your level of consciousness by offering you the ideal wonderful space to fully express yourself.

VooV Experience 2019

Where: GermanyWhen: Around July 2019 (TBC)

VooV is one of the oldest and biggest of the German parties dating back to 1992, with attendance numbers ranging from 10 to 20 thousand. After a slight break from the scene, the annual festival returned in 2014 and has continued to grow ever since.

Set deep in the rolling hills of Leicestershire at the heart of rural England, Noisily Festival of Electronic Music and Arts lies in one of the most beautiful wooded valleys in the country.

Totally contained amongst the trees creating a safe haven where hedonism and escapism can flourish and thrive, Noisily Festival 2019 will play host to some of the most exciting musical talent from the UK and abroad, along with a plethora of performance, innovative installations and mind bending visual arts.

Antaris Project 2019

Where: GermanyWhen: Around July 2019 (TBC)

Celebrating 24 editions, Antaris Projekt (Against War! For Friendship, Peace and Freedom) is one of the earlier psytrance festivals in the [German] season and is known to be a welcoming environment for the whole family and foreign visitors. Did you know, Germany is Europe’s second largest beer drinking country!

Ozora Festival takes its name from the village of Ozora in Tolna County, Hungary. This small village, with a population of roughly 2000 people, has hosted tens of thousands of international psychedelic music lovers for more than a decade. The Hungarian festival continues to grow in popularity and is no doubt on any psychedelic travelers music festival bucket list.

The fourth edition of One Love Festival entitled ‘Roots of Love’ which will take place in Bergün Filisur this Summer. This year the psytrance festival will return to the mysterious Bella Luna-site inbetween forests and next to the river Albula.

FLOW Festival 2019

Where: AustriaWhen: Around July 2019 (TBC)

This spectacular Austrian psytrance festival takes place in Tritolstraße, Eggendorf at the same venue since 2010. The summer weather, with its bright sun, will illuminate the artwork surrounding the entire festival area.

S.U.N Festival 2019

Where: HungaryWhen: Around July 2019 (TBC)

The first edition of the young S.U.N (Solar United Natives) Festival took place in 2013 after a number of the Ozora team decided to split up. The festival features more than 150 artists, unique visuals and decor, lectures, workshops and kid’s corner.

Eclipse Festival 2019

Where: CanadaWhen: Around July 2019 (TBC)

The five day Canadian festival takes place in an enchanted site of Bonnet Rouge Rafting in Sainte-Thérèse-de-la-Gatineau, where a genuine parallel world will be illuminated and vibrate in harmony. The first outdoor edition of Eclipse Festival took place in 2003 and the team have just celebrated their 15 year anniversary.

Momento Demento (MoDem) Festival 2019

Where: CroatiaWhen: 05 August to 11 August 20189

Momento Demento or Mo:dem Festival takes place near the town of Slunj. The festival is a week long dedicated to ecology, with the venue featuring much of Croatia’s natural eye-candy including 18th century windmills and waterfalls. At Modem Festival you’ll find a particular niche of more psychedelic music. The 2018 edition sold out, proving its popularity.

Psy-Fi Festival 2019

Where: NetherlandsWhen: 28 August to 01 September 2019

A unique playground of several beaches and islands that host numerous stages and two different camping sites (in the forest or by the lakeside), it’s hard to give this one a miss if you’re in Europe. The Dutch psytrance festival is now 6 years old and a popular destination for psychedelic travelers.

Free Earth Festival 2019

Where: GreeceWhen: 22 August to 26 August 2019

Although the Greek psytrance festival skipped 2015, Free Earth has continued to grow on a new beach venue, topping over 3000 attendees at their latest edition. Did you know, Greece is the sunniest country in Europe?

Alien Safari Sprung 2019

Where: Cape Town, South AfricaWhen: September 2019

Alien Safari is one of South Africa’s oldest promoters, with over 25 years of experience. Their annual event, Alien Safari Sprung, takes place in September, at the start of the outdoor season in Cape Town, when the months are warmer.

Hadra Trance Festival 2018

Where: FranceWhen: 06 September to 09 September 2018

Hadra was started in 2001 by a small group of electronic music lovers. In 2019 Hadra Trance Festival will return for its 12th edition. The French festivals draws a crowd from throughout Europe and attendance numbers top over 10 000 people.

Neverland Electronic Music Festival 2019

Where: IsraelWhen: Around August / September 2019

The Groove Attack team have put together Neverland Electronic Music Festival for half a decade, and is one of the largest gatherings in the psychedelic trance hotspot of Israel. They also team up with Solaris Project to bring Atmosphere Festival, another great party to check out.

Indian Spirit Festival 2019

Where: GermanyWhen: 03 May to 13 May 2019

Indian Spirit Festival started out as a small psychedelic party in 2007 and has grown over the yers . Indian Spirit is held at the start of September in the Eldena area of northern Germany, much later than the other German psytrance festivals listed and has shifted towards a more mainstream crowd.

Insomnia Festival 2019

Where: PortugalWhen: 05 September to 08 September 2019

Insomnia Festival returns in 2019 for its 7th edition entitled ‘Higher Consciousness’. This time they’ve decided to add an additional day to the roster, making this a four day experience in the forest. The festival is located 3 km from the town of São Gião, right on the river of Alva.

Mushroom Valley Festival 2019

Where: AustraliaWhen: 04 October to 06 October 2019

Over the past six years, Mushroom Valley has evolved into something more than a music festival. It has become a community. Situated in a magical landscape between the Whitsundays and Mackay in Central Queensland, the sub-tropical setting is the perfect complement to the eclectic electronic music the festival has to offer.

Mandallah Festival

Where: BrazilWhen: October 2019

The South American festival has been taking place for over a decade, more recently in Andradas, known as Land of Wine. The festival has grown over the years and will celebrate its 14th edition in 2019. Although some might argue the festival has become too commercial, it is one of the biggest festivals in Brazil today.

Unity Festival

Where: IsraelWhen: Different Dates Throughout The Year

The Dead Sea is known to be the lowest point in the world and features extremely salty water you can float on. Sounds like a great place to a pack a couple thousand trance lovers, right?

Lost Theory Festival spent many years in Croatia but moved to Spain in 2015. The festival now takes place in the beautiful mountain region of Las Hurdes / Las Batuecas. They’ve got all the amnesties to make this week long experience comfortable with banging psychedelic music across several stages in an intimate crowd.

Freedom Festival returns in 2019 for its 8th edition, although the festival is well over a decade old. When’s there no Boom Festival, this more intimate gathering takes its place around the same time. Although not as popular, the biennial Freedom Festival is a loved party within the Portuguese scene.

ZNA Gathering 2019

Where: PortugalWhen: 19 August to 26 August 2019

ZNA Gathering is another popular festival in Portugal taking place on Montargirl Lake. The concept is to bring feelings and sounds from the recent past back to life in a very friendly atmosphere through a special outdoor gathering. A moment where energy and communication flow in a retro-futuristic way. A unique location, under the shade of trees, in the middle of nature, built with love by dancers for dancers.

Universo Paralello (UP15) Festival 2019/2020

Where: BrazilWhen: Over NYE 2019/2020

The large outdoor festival starts few days before New Years Eve and ends few days later into the new year, situated on a stunning location, Praia de Pratigi, a hidden oasis on the Southern beaches of Bahia, Brazil. The weather is hot and humid, as you can expect on a beach in the height of the Brazilian summer. The next edition will be over 2019/2020 NYE.

Although Boom Festival does not take place in 2019, it’s a festival that can’t be left off the list. Boom is considered the ‘holy grail’ of psychedelic trance parties.

Since 1997, the biennial festival takes place in Portugal, featuring musical performances across five stages, lectures, films, workshops and several visual art exhibitions.

The main Dance Temple on its own supports a crowd of 15 000 people, with the whole psychedelic lovers from across the globe. Boom Festival 2020 is bound to be an experience, make sure you’ve saved up when tickets go on sale because this festival sells out in a matter of hours!

Idanha-a-Nova lake is a stunning location for this hot Portuguese summer festival. Aside from the best in dance and trance music, there will be chillout gardens and art installations to enjoy.